Fuel-supply means for orchard-heaters.



G. W. BOTHWELL. FUEL SUPPLY MEANS FOR ORCHARD HEATERS.

APPLICATlON FILED OCT. 26, I914.

Patented July 6, 1915.

3/. 2 M 2 E 4, A 60 p 8 NB ,4 m a a i i 5 6 w 5 2 b 3 MW e, 1 3 @257 a Z a. U 21 n 7 .Z F fl m YUNITED sTA Es PATENT OFFICE.

enonenw. no'rnwnnn, or o'nrnzuo, CALIFORNIA.

mL-sUrrLY mums non oncmnn-nne'rnns.

Specification of letters Pa ent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed October 28, 19 14. Serial No. 868,578. I

vented a new and useful Fuel-Supply Means for Orchard-Heaters, of which the follow- .ing is a specification.

This invention relates to means for supplying fuel such as etroleum, to heaters or stoves used in heating orchards to protect the same from frost, and it relates particularly to fuel supply means in which the fuel is supplied gradually from a tank, in such manner that a uniform flow of fuel isobtained, irrespective of the amount of fuel in the tank, such uniformity in the flow being obtained by holding the fuel in the tank by the action of a partial vacuum-produced above the fuel, the .fuel being allowed to flow' from the tank to an' outlet chamber in communication with the outer air, whenever the fuel in said outlet chamber falls below a certain level and-allows air to pass into the tank, the fuel then passing from said outlet chamber through a regulating valve, to the burner. An' important object of the inventionis to provide forflquickl and conveniently draining the tank su ciently toestablish the condition of partial vacuum therein, and for then arresting such draining action soas to leave the feed under control ofthe regulating valve.

Another object of the invention is to prevent dirt, etc., from passing to the regulating valve and clogging the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide the fuel supply means with means for conducting the fuel to a heater ,or burner, such conducting meansbeing flexibly or movably connected with the tank so as to facilitate adjustment of the conducting means to different positions, and to prevent undue strains on the parts by careless handling thereof, such as would be liable to occur'kif the pipe were rigidly connected to the tan a Another object of theinvention is to provide for folding the pipe or pipes connected to the tank to upright position close to the tank, so as to occupy a minimum of space, and safeguard against leakage when the device is not in operation, and also against damage to the pipe connections.

Another object of the invention is to .provide for draining off any and the means for controlling the fuel supply th'erefrom. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the said parts, in folded position. Fig. 3 is a section on line na -40, in Fig. 1, Fig. 4.- is a section on line 13-42, in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a partly broken plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a partly broken elevation of a modification.

1, designates a fuel tank, provided with an opening through which it may be filled, said' opening being normally closed by a plug 2, which is adapted to make a tight closure, so as to retain a partial vacuum in the tank, as hereinafter set forth. For this purpose a screw plug may be used, the top of the tank having an annular recess 2', surrounding this plug to receive grease or heavy oil for making an air tight closure. Said tank is provided near its lower end, with outlet means 3 consisting .of a pipe connected to the tank and having avalveltherein to shut oil or turn on .theoil supply to the heater. The outer end of this outlet means 3 is connected to a fitting 6, formed as a side opening L or a three way fitting having aninlet opening 7 connected tosaid outlet means for the tank, a bottom opening 8 connected toa regulating valve 10 and a side opening 9 connected to a nipple 11 to which is connected an air inlet pipe 12.

Regulating valve 10 is preferably a needle valve, having its inlet connected to the opening. 8 of the fitting or connection means 6,

water which out glpe 13 leading to the .burner ortheater 14. i

he connection between regulatin .valve 10 means of an elbow 15, having its arm connected to the valve and pipe respectively, by screw joints which are sufiiciently loose to permit the pipe to turn on the elbow, in a and the delivery pipe 13. is pre erably by ioo horizontal plane, and the elbow to turn on the valve, in a vertical plane, these connections forming a universal joint, so that'the delivery pipe may be swung horizontally or vertically without changing the position of the tank or straining the connections.

Delivery pipe 13 is referably formed with a bendor elbow in icated at 13' to enable it Qti to extend horizontally. By this means I provide for shifting the delivery pipe to accommodate it to various positions of the heater, without having to shift the tank, and I also obviate anyliability of strainip'g the pipe connections to the tank by careless handling thereof. This construction also permits the delivery pipe to be folded up against the tank, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to make the device more (pmpact for ban-- dling and storage.

The air inlet pipe. swingingly that is can'be turned either to raised position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, with its upper end resting against the tank, and

12 is also preferably extending above the outlet means and substantially to the level ofthe top of the tank, so as to be above the maximum height ofthe fuel in the tank, or to lowered position, as shown. in dotted lines in Fig. 1, with the outer end as low as theoutlet means.

In orderto prevent the needle valve 10 from bein clogged by dirt which maybe in the fuel,

prefer to provide a strainer 16, formed, for example, of wire gauze, rolled in the form of a thimble, with one end closed as shown at 16', such thimble being slipped into the interior chamber 17 of the fitting 8, so as to extend vertically, with its closed end uppermost, and with its lower end resting on top of the bushing 20, and its cylindrical portion extending opposite the oil inlet opening 7 and air inlet opening 9 of the fitting. When so placed the strainer extends in the path of the fuel passing from the outlet means 3 of the tank to the regulating valve, but a space 19 is left between said strainer and the wall of the fitting, to

permit air to pass alongside the strainer,

from air inlet opening 9 to the outlet'means 3 for the tank. a

The heaters with their fuel supply tanks are suitably distributed in the orchard to be protected, and said tanks are preferably charged with fuel some time before protection is needed. To charge the tank, the plug 2 therefor is removed, and shut oil valve 5 is closed, andfuel, such as distillate or other hydrocarbon oil is oured into the tank until it is about full. n case there is any water in the oil in the tank, I prefer to let the tank stand after filling for a sufiicient time to allow the water. to settle out, and then, by turning down the pipe 12 to position shown in dotted lines in Fig; 1, and opening valve 5, this water is drained the plug 2 being open at this time to allow the water to fiow out freely. When all the water is drained ofi, valve is closed, plug 2 is replaced and tightly closed, and valve 5 is again opened. Oilvvill then flow from the tank, through outlet means 3 and pipe 12, until a partial vacuum is produced in mounted enthe nipple 11, so

areaeee art of the tank, above the oil the upper cient to overcome the hydrotherein, su static head of the oil remaining in The shut ofi valve 5 is then closed, and the "pipe 12 is swung up to positionain which it rests against the tank, which thensupports it in upright position, and the device is then ready for operation atan'y time. The regulating valve is set to allow the oil to feed through the delivery pipe 13 at the proper rate for operation of the burner, under the head due to the body of oil in the outlet and fitting, this valve being always left in such set condition, and the turning on and ofi' of the fuel being efi'ected by the shut off valve 5. I I

The operation of the device isas follows: When the heater is to be started', the shut ed valve 5 is opened, and oil then .fiowsthrough the outlet means 3 to the fitting'fi, until said parts are filled to the level of the top of the outlet means, the feed from the tank then ceasing until the level falls again suliiciently to allow some air to enter the tank through the air inlet pipe 12 and the outlet means 3. The oil so entering the fitting 6 also fills the space above theregulating valve, in the fitting, and tlfecennection thereto, and this space constitutes'la well, holding enough oil to maintain a fairly constant-flow through the regulating valve to thmheatcr 14. The oil being lighted at the heater, burns steadily and uniformly throughout the operation thereof. The partial vacuum in the tank holds the oil back until the oil in the fitting 6 lowers below the top of the inside of the outlet pipe 3, when a bubble of air will enter the air pipe 12, pass through the shut off valve 5 and enter the tank, then oil will flow until the seat of the valve 5 is flooded, cutting oil the air, thus maintaining a constant even pressure on the regulating valve regardless of the depth of oil in the tank. This operation makes a uniform fire from the time the shut-ofi valve is opened until the-tank close the shut 0E valve 5, so as to hold the oil in the tank and to prevent expulsion of oil by pressure of the vapor generated in the tank during hot weather. The air pipe 12 is preferably of sufiicient height t0 e:- tend, when raised, to or above the level of the top of the oil in the tank, so that if the 1 shut off valve leaks or is not tightly closed, any oil passing to the fitting simply rises said pipe, and does not waste on the ground. The oil delivery pipe 13,-being also raised to upright position, as shown in Fig. 2, when the device is not in use, prevents leakage of oil through said pipe.

' Instead of the regulating valve, other regulating means may be used. in general,

the setting of this regulating valve is mere mama or less permanent, or seldom requires to be changed, so that in some cases, a fixed regulating device, such as a reducing plug formed with a contracted opening, may be used, as shown at 10 in Fig. 6. This figure also shows the fuel supply means constructed without thestrainer, and having a rigidly connected upright air inlet pipe 12", connected to the oil outlet means 3 by a T fitting 6, so as to communicate therewith between the fuel tank and the regulating means 10.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a fuel supply means for orchard heaters, a fuel tank, an outlet means communicating with the lower portion of said tank and provided witha delivery pipe for supply of fuel from said tank, and an air inlet pipe communicating with said tank and mounted to swing thereon, so as to extend upwardly in normal operation, for admission of air to the tank, and to swing down to position for draining fuel from the tank through said air inlet pipe.

2. In a fuel supply means for orchard heaters, a fuel tank, an outlet means communicating with the lower portion of said tank and provided with a delivery pipe for supply of fuel from the tank, and an air inlet pipe connected to said outlet means and mountedto swing vertically to bring it to raised position for normal operation thereof as an air inlet means, or to bring it to lowered position for draining fuel from said tank, and a valve in said outlet means between the tank and said air inlet pipe.

3. In a fuel supply means for orchard heaters, a fuel tank, an outlet means therefor, a delivery pipe connected to said outlet means and providedwith a regulating valve, and an air inlet and fuel drainingpipe connected to said outlet means between the fuel tank and said regulating valve'and mounted to turn, to lower the outer end of said pipe below, or raise it above, said outlet means. I

v 4. In a fuel supply means for orchard heaters, a fuel tank, an outlet means therefor, a delivery pipe connected to said outlet means and provided with a regulating valve, an air inlet and fuel draining pipe connected to said outlet means between the fuel tank and said regulating valve, and

swingingly mounted to raise its outer endabove, or lower it below, the outlet means, and a shut ofi valve in said outlet means between said tank and the connection of said air inlet and fuel drain pipe.

5. A fuel supply means for orchard heaters comprising a-fuel tank, an outlet means therefor, a fitting having a fuel inlet opening communicating with said outlet means, v

and havingan air inlet opening and a fuel outlet opening, a strainer within said fitting and retained in place by engagement with the walls of said fitting, said strainer extending in the path of the fuel from said fuel inlet to said fuel outlet opening, and being spaced from the wall of the fitting adjacent the air outlet means at its lower portion, a regulating means connected to said oil outlet, an upright air inlet pipe connected to said oil outlet means to admit air thereto between said regulating means and the fuel-tank, and extending substantially to the level of the top of the tank, and open at its upper end,

and a shut off valve in said outlet means between the fuel tank and the pointof connection of said air inlet pipe.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Los Angeles, California,.this 16th day of Dctober, 1914.

' GEORGE W.BOTHWELL.

Witnesses:

A. P. KNIGHT,

OSCAR E. Wrnnnmv. 

